BRIGADIER GENERAL JAMES A. McDIVITT - SPECIAL COVER SIGNED CO-SIGNED BY: RUSTY SCHWEICKART - HFSID 48164

JAMES A. McDIVITT and RUSSELL "RUSTY" SCHWEICKART
James A. McDivitt and Rusty Schweickart sign an envelope commemorating Apollo 9
Special Cover Signed: "James A. McDivitt" and "Rusty Schweickart". 6½x3½, green ink cachet honoring Apollo 9 splash down printed on left side. Postmark 1969 March 13, Cape Canaveral, Florida, one stamp affixed. James McDivitt (born 1929), a Korean War combat pilot, was selected as an astronaut by NASA in September 1962. He served as Command Pilot for Gemini 4 (June 3-7, 1965) and Commander of Apollo 9 (a ten-day earth orbital flight launched on March 3, 1969). Gemini 4 witnessed the first EVA (space walk) by Edward White, while Apollo 9 featured the first separation and docking of the lunar module (LEM) by Russell Schweickart. Named Manger of the Apollo Spacecraft Program in August 1969, he was Program Manager for the Apollo 12 to Apollo 16 missions. McDivitt retired from the Air Force as a Brigadier General in June 1972, when he also left NASA for the private sector. RUSSELL "RUSTY" SCHWEICKART (born1935) became an astronaut in 1963. As the Lunar Module pilot on the Apollo 9 mission, he was to have preformed various tests but began to suffer from space sickness-forcing postponement; he did complete the first separation and docking of the lunar module (LEM). Schweickart was awarded the NASA Exceptional Service Metal in 1973 and an Emmy Award in 1969 for the transmission of the first live television pictures from outer space. Edges slightly creased. Otherwise, fine condition.